


okay, this looks bad

by nevernevergirl



Series: taking the hard way home [1]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 03:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14126664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevernevergirl/pseuds/nevernevergirl
Summary: Following Pride's arrest, Jonah's still at large and genocidal, and well-intentioned but clueless authority figures have split up the runaways. Chase enlists the help of a certain west coast Hawkeye. Hulu's Runaways/Kelly Thompson Hawkeye crossover.





	okay, this looks bad

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of an outtake from a WIP rewrite of the end of Runaways vol 1 in the show universe? This is entirely indulgent af, but Kate Bishop's a PI in LA currently, and the Young Avengers/Runaways crossover introduced me to the Runaways kids, so! Takes place about a year(ish) after season 1 of Runaways (this is a very fudged timeline i'm sorry), and during the most recent run of Hawkeye (though you don't really need to have read it, this is from Chase's POV). Gratuitous mentions of Gertchase because I am who I am.

The PI office isn't much, just a rundown hole in the wall next to a kitschy surf shop. There's no real sign, just a sheet of computer paper reading "hawkeye investigations" taped to the door. Well. It said ‘Hawk’ with a drawing of an eye underneath it. Chase assumed it was an eye, anyway.

 

Whatever. He doesn't have the time to be picky, and, from what he's been able to find out, this is the safest bet to hedge.

 

He pushes the door open cautiously; the bell dings, and he's immediately rushed by a very enthusiastic dog, yelping curiously.

 

"Hey there," he mumbles, letting the dog sniff his palm. He makes a mental note to drop by the hostel to see Lace after this; it's only been two days, but it feels a lot longer.

 

"You must be my 5 o'clock." Chase looks up. The girl standing on the other side of the room isn't much older than he is. She's wearing purple Doc Martens that Gert would love. He really, really misses Gert. "Or you're the pizza guy. I kind of hope you're the pizza guy."

 

"Sorry, not the pizza guy," he says, shutting the door and walking forward. The dog trots forward, stopping at the girl's side. "I'm–"

 

"Chase Stein," she nods. "I'm Kate. And this is Lucky," she says, nodding at the dog. "He didn't sniff anywhere weird, did he?"

 

"Uh. No?"

 

"Good. His manners are usually terrible, he must like you," she shrugs, waving him in. "Come on. My, uh. Office area is over here."

 

The space is definitely a studio apartment, and there's no way she's licensed, and he's pretty sure that's a purple bra she just kicked under the sofa. But hey, he's lived in a mostly-sunken abandoned mansion with five other teenagers and a dinosaur for a year. He can't judge.

 

Kate takes a seat at her desk and he sits across from her. She gives him an appraising look.

 

"Chase Stein, son of Victor and Janet Stein. You got your parents arrested a week and a half ago. You were found with five other kids from Brentwood. Everyone else was sent to relatives or put in foster care, but you're the only legal adult–happy birthday, by the way," she says, wryly. "You're a lacrosse player and a okay-ish student at Atlas Academy."

 

He raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms."Ok, cool, you've done your research."

 

"I have basic cable," she shrugs. "Wi-Fi’s cheaper if you bundle it."

 

He sighs a little. "And what do you know that hasn't been on tv for the past year?"

 

She shrugs "I know that Destiny Gonzales wasn't the only kid your parents helped murder. And there's definitely something sketchy going on with the Church of Gibborim. I mean. Sketchier than your run of the mill cult."

 

Chase leans forward a little in his chair, taking a deep breath. Might as well just jump right in.

 

"Aliens," he says, quietly. "I know how that sounds. But there's an ancient alien race under one of the Wilder construction sites, and if we don't stop the guy my parents were working for, California's pretty much done for."

 

Kate nods, slowly. "You know, that....actually explains a lot."

 

He raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

 

She shrugs. "I've seen some weird stuff. And from what I've been able to dig up on Pride, there was definitely something supernatural and or ritualistic going on. And the tech they had looks insane. Plus, someone was definitely doing something sketchy with genetics, but I haven't had time to ask my biologist contact–"

 

"Don't worry about it," he says, sharply, thinking of Gert and Old Lace. He probably doesn’t need to protect them from Kate, but it doesn’t make the instinct go away. He takes a deep breath. "We already know about that, and it's not an issue right now."

 

"So what is?"

 

He sighs, leaning back in his chair. "We have a plan. Sort of. Right now, I'm the only who can really do anything. Nico turns 18 in in three days, but we can't really wait until everyone’s birthday. And Molly's barely 15, so."

 

She raises her eyebrows. "Do you want me to help break your friends out of their foster homes? Because I'm not saying no, but I am saying that's technically kidnapping."

 

He waves his hand. "No, we have that under control. Mostly," he sighed. "We're sort of guessing at a lot of this. I'm pretty sure we're mostly right, but we need to be sure. If I give you what we have on this guy our parents were working for, Jonah, can you find what I need?"

 

"Of course," she shrugs.

 

"I have money to pay you," he says. "It's risky, though. You should know that."

 

"I'm good with a challenge."

 

"This is a lot of challenge. Like literal alien level of challenge. Seriously, you're not weirded out by the alien thing?"

 

"Been there, done that, some of my best friends are part Kree," she drones, then shakes her head. "Look, I know I look like I'm running an unlicensed business out of my living room slash kitchen, and like. I am. I totally am. But I know what I'm doing. I've looked you up. This is sketchy shit, and I want to help."

 

He watches her carefully. "Why?"

 

"Because you need it," she shrugs. "And, you know. I relate, I guess."

 

He raises his eyebrows. "You're on the run from a genocidal glowing alien, too?"

 

"Don't be so literal," she rolls her eyes. "Like. Emotionally relate. The whole evil parent thing. I thought my dad was just your run of the mill capitalist greed monster, but apparently, creepy Kilgrave-lite super villain!"

 

"Isn't that the same thing?" he smirks. She grins widely, holding out a fist for him to bump; he accepts solemnly.

 

"Wouldn't have pegged you for the proletariat, Stein.”

 

"Blame my girlfriend," he shrugs.

 

"I like her already." She shakes her head, a determined look on her face. "Okay. Information on this Jonah guy. Anything else from me?"

 

"I heard you have...friends. Who might be able to help on the whole supernatural front, if we need some extra firepower."

 

"I could make a few calls," she shrugs. "I used to have a team. And, not gonna lie, we were pretty good."

 

She smiles a little, and he gets it. He's been on his own for just over a week, and he's handling it–a lot better than he'd have thought. But he misses everyone. He's never going to not miss everyone.

 

"Call them. I'll keep in touch and let you know what we're planning."

 

Kate nods, grinning. "The Young Avengers and the Runaways. I like it."

 

He makes a face. "That's not our name. We don't have a name."

 

"Uh, Anderson Cooper says it's your name, and I'm pretty sure that's legally binding."

 

"Fuck."

 

"Deal with it, Runaway."

 

She holds out her hand, and he shakes it.


End file.
